Efficacy Study

Study Shows VR Highly Effective for Training Electrical Construction Tasks

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Virtual reality (VR) has the ability to transform the training experience in skilled trades, such as electrical construction, by putting virtual tools and objects in trainees’ hands and making them active participants in the tasks they are learning. Traditional training, by comparison, is often more passive, as students are less directly involved in the lesson being delivered. Testing the effectiveness of active VR training is crucial for understanding its usefulness for preparing future generations of tradespeople. 

 

In 2023, Transfr conducted an experiment to compare the impact of actively using a VR training simulation versus passively viewing a recording of the identical sim content. Participants were local community members in Louisville, KY with no prior experience performing the tasks they were trained on. The experiment assessed learners’ ability to transfer and retain knowledge from a skills-training lesson to the real world. Learners were also asked how appealing they found the lesson to be.

Participant breakdown and method

  • 24 participants, ages 21-58; 87% had some experience with VR
  • All participants learned two tasks: Bending 
Conduit and Electrical Box Assembly™
  • Participants learned one task by actively participating in a Transfr VR simulation and the other task by passively watching a recording 

    of a sim being performed by someone else
  • After approximately 2 days (range 1-6), participants were tested on their ability to 
perform both tasks using real tools and object
  • Participants evaluated the VR simulation and recording in terms of enjoyment and how well it held their attention

Remarkably, we found that, for learning purposes, VR was not only as good as but actually better than training in the real world. It may be that the highly private and immersive nature of VR helps learners focus, making the experience more memorable and also more enjoyable.

Actively playing a VR sim boosts learning

Learners remembered more from a sim when they played it compared to passively watching someone else play it. When given real tools and objects, learners correctly performed 62% of the steps in the actively-trained task versus only 51% for the passively-trained task, a statistically significant difference: t(23) = 2.24, p < .05, d = 0.46. It’s estimated that 68% of students will learn better via active training versus passive.

Students overwhelmingly prefer active learning

Participants enjoyed playing sims much more than watching a recording and found it much easier to pay attention to lesson content when playing versus watching. When actively playing 
 a sim, versus passively watching, participants reported enjoying the lesson 34% more and found it 32% easier to pay attention. It’s estimated that 86% of students will enjoy active learning more than passive methods and 80% will find it easier 
 to pay attention.

Participants rated how much they 
 enjoyed the lesson and how easy it was 
 to pay attention on a scale of 1 to 7 with higher numbers indicating greater enjoyment/ease. Enjoyment ratings were significantly higher when playing than watching: t(23) = 5.21, p < .001, d = 1.06. Attention ratings were also higher: t(23) = 4.13, p < .001, d = 0.84.

My experience in learning job related skills using interactive VR simulations has given me more confidence in my ability to quickly learn new jobs. I hope to see this form of training in the future! Anonymous study participant, 33 years old

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VR Career Exploration Reveals New Career Paths for Youths

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